The decision created an uproar among the school community, with students, parents and alumni praising Derr as a tireless educator and strong advocate.

In March, Derr resigned his post, choosing to do so hours before a March 14 Board of Education meeting where a top-ranking state official recommended his dismissal as part of a turnaround plan for the school.

A February audit of Thames River Academy put Derr at the center of what officials said were wide-spread discipline problems and woefully low test scores.

In June, the Board of Education voted to close Thames River Academy and align with Norwich Free Academy on a new transitional high school program to be run out of a state-of-the art, $2.5 million building on Sachem Street. It is expected to open in early 2013.

In late June, state officials tapped Joseph B. Stanton Elementary, the lowest performing school in an underachieving district, to take part in a five-year turnaround plan known as the Commissioner’s Network.

On Aug. 10, the state Board of Education approved the school’s improvement strategy, and voted to funnel $3 million to help local officials carry out the plan.

During a school visit in October by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Stanton Principal Christie Gilluly unveiled a four-pronged approach to student advancement that officials have been working on since the summer. It includes in-house professional development for teachers, the establishment of a neighborhood outreach center in Greeneville to improve communication with families and hiring 12 “interventionists” to work directly with classroom teachers.

“We wanted to get a visit early in the year, and we’ll follow and track progress, but there’s no doubt in my mind you’re rising to the occasion,” Malloy said. “But please do everything you can, because we’re looking to you for your contributions.”

In addition to individual aid for Stanton Elementary, city officials also learned in 2012 that the district as whole would be on the receiving end of a special yearly allocation to close the achievement gap among all Norwich students.

Norwich was among 30 school systems in the state invited to apply for Alliance District money, set aside by state leaders to boost test scores in Connecticut’s worst performing districts.

And on Nov. 21, officials learned they’d get $1.02 million yearly through 2017 to help implement a sweeping reform plan focused on improving literacy scores.

The money will come through a larger allotment of Education Cost Sharing dollars. The district plans to focus on “differentiated instruction,” develop a revamped evaluation system for staff and partner with the University of Connecticut to enhance parent engagement.

In a move the Board of Education said was necessary to ensure that her compensation was equitable to that of other communities, members unanimously voted in June to give Superintendent Abby Dolliver a 17 percent raise, or $24,000 more a year.

Page 2 of 2 - Her new salary of $160,000 took effect July 1. But not everybody was supportive of the move, which came in the middle of budget talks.

“I find it very disturbing, given the lack of progress for Norwich students,” resident Ron Ward said at the time. “If you bring her salary to the equivalent of a kindergarten through 12th-grade system, she’s going to be overcompensated.